American Express Mobile NFC

Overview

Near-Field Communication (NFC) utilizes the same tap-to-pay technology as contactless chips, but instead of using their Card, consumers can load their payment information onto their NFC-enabled mobile phone.

In addition to the standard contactless features, NFC technology helps to engage consumers in a new way, enabling Merchants to push relevant offers through the phone and delivering a convenient way to pay.

How It Works

NFC Hardware (Secure Element): AMEX Digital Solutions enable Issuers to participate in Digital Payment wallets where a Secure Element is used to store cardholder data. Apple Pay is an example of a digital wallet where Cardholders can register their card details in order to make a purchase at the point of sale.

NFC Software (Host Card Emulation): AMEX Digital Solutions offers Issuers an option to deploy Mobile NFC independent of Mobile Network Operator. Issuers can integrate the HCE payment app into their existing bank app or utilize HCE to create a standalone payment wallet. HCE-based payments use cloud servers to transmit cardholder data to a mobile device ready for use at the point of sale.

At checkout, customers tap or hold their NFC-enabled phone in close proximity to the contactless reader which uses radio frequency technology to transfer transaction data.